Sheshanaga Aureole Of Seated Lord Vishnu

Lord Vishnu is a paramaguru, the creative aspect of the Hindu creator-preserver-destroyer trinity. He is a handsome, powerful deity who dreamed the world into being whilst He napped upon the back of Sheshanaga, the finality serpent (‘shesha’ is Sanskrit for ‘final’; ‘naga’, for ‘serpent’). The bronze composition that you see on this page depicts the Lord Vishnu seated on a lotus pedestal upon the body of Sheshanaga, coiled into three layers engraved with characteristic serrations.

The five-hooded snake bares its multitude of fangs behind the seated creator-deity. The larger-than-life wide hoods form a kind of an aureole for the icon in the foreground - note the attention to detail paid by the artist in sculpting the naga’s underbelly. The chaturbhujadhari Deva is seated in a rough lalitasana. He is clad in an ornate layered loincloth and a world of shringar that befits the king of the heavens. Note the towering embellished crown that sits on His handsome brow, a hallmark of Southern handiwork.

He is flanked by Shridevi and Bhudevi, the Devis who preside over resources, a prerequisite to the creative process. They are seated in a graceful lalitasana, their hands raised in gentle blessing. They have the same tall crowns and style of shringar as the Lord Vishnu. The whole composition is placed on a latticeworked lotus-petal pedestal with tigerpaw legs.